Gilberto Silva has been praising Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice ahead of the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The former West Ham United captain has been such a key factor in helping Arsenal win the Premier League this season, and now he could also help them win the Champions League.
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Rice has quite possibly been the best midfielder in Europe, and he is now at the level to guide the team to their first-ever European Cup this weekend.
Ahead of the Champions League final, one of the Gunners’ former Invincibles stars has been speaking about Rice’s huge impact on the team.
Gilberto Silva claims Declan Rice has been ‘outstanding’
Gilberto Silva believes that Declan Rice has been ‘outstanding’ for Arsenal since his arrival back in the summer of 2023.
The Brazilian midfielder says that the 27-year-old has all the attributes to be a top midfield player in the Premier League.
Silva told TalkSPORT: “In my opinion, he has been outstanding since he came to Arsenal. You can see every season he is raising his level, but the pace of him, the size of him, his presence on the field is something very important, massive.
“You know how to be in the Premier League, you know if you don’t have the presence on the field, people don’t respect you, and he’s got that presence, he’s got the capacity, ability and the brain.
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Silva has also hailed Rice’s leadership in the team, despite not wearing the armband for the Gunners.
“He also has the leadership, which for me is very important; you have to have a leader for Arsenal in different positions. He’s the leader of the midfield. He controls everything. He’s the boss of that,” added Silva.
“But also pushing the other guys because at some moments in the game in the all in the league, you need to have somebody to push the others to make everyone believe.”
Rice will now be looking to guide the team to the Champions League title this weekend, but it will not be easy against a strong PSG team.
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